Device for dispensing adhesive tape from an annular roll



Sept. 13, 1955 D. F. WIEDERSPAN 2,717,641

DEVICE FOR DISPENSING ADHESIVE} TAPE FROM AN ANNULAR ROLL Filed Feb. 2, 1952 United States Patent 1 2,717,641 DEVICE FOR DISPENSING ADHESIVE TAPE FROM AN ANNULAR ROLL Donald F. Wiederspan, Denver, Colo. Application February 2, 1952, Serial No. 269,627 2 Claims. (Cl. 164-845) This invention relates to an adhesive tape unreeling and severing device, and is more particularly designed for the large, open-center type of tape roll such as used by draftsmen and by painters as masking tape.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a small, neat, inexpensive device which can be quickly and easily applied to any of the annular tape rolls, and which will provide a cutting edge for severing the tape at any desired point.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will automatically follow the decreasing diameter of the roll as the tape is unwound, and which will act to fold back the terminal edge of the tape to prevent it from adhering to the roll.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional roll of masking tape, illustrating the invention in place thereon;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the external portion of the improved device; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view, illustrating the internal portion thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a detail cross-section taken on the line 44, Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1 conventional masking tape is indicated at wound in the usual roll 11 upon a core tube 12.

The improved cutting or tearing attachment comprises a unitary blank of sheet metal stamped and formed to provide an arcuate base portion 13 designed to ride upon the external circumference of the roll 11. The forward extremity of the base portion 13 is rolled upwardly to provide a rounded front edge 14 and an inclined bending flange 15. The bending flange is indented to form a retaining groove 16.

The rear extremity of the base portion 10 is folded upwardly and forwardly to provide an inclined thumb plate 17, the upper edge of which is extended upwardly and preferably serrated to form a cutting edge 18.

Two side tabs 19 are formed from and bent downwardly from each side edge of the thumb plate 17. The tabs 19 extend downwardly below the sides of the base portion 13.

The improved unreeling and severing device as thus far described is used in combination with an endless rubber band 20 which is secured at its bent-back extremities to tying loops 21 formed in the extremities of a U-shaped holding wire 22.

The device is applied to the reel 11 by placing the base portion 13 on the reel so that it will overlie and face towards the terminal extremity of the tape 10 thereon. The retaining wire 22 is placed within the tube 12, and the rubber band 20 is extended over the roll 11 and connected at its extremities to the loops 21. The stretched band is then snapped into the groove 16 in the bending flange 15 as shown in Fig. 1 to resiliently retain the device in place.

The user grips the reel 11 in the hand, with the thumb pressing against the thumb plate 17. He then pulls rearwardly upon the extremity of the tape 10, causing the reel to rotate forwardly through the hand and beneath the base portion 13. When the desired length of the tape has been unreeled, the tape is bent rearwardly over the rounded edge 14 and swung downwardly as shown by the arrow in Fig. 1, and severed against the cutting edge 18. The device is held firmly in position during the severing operation by the pressure of the thumb. That portion of the tape between the cutting edge 18 and the rounded edge 14 will remain bent back away from the reel so that it may be readily gripped by the thumb and fingers when it is desired to unreel additional tape. It will be noted that as the tape is unwound, the reduction in diameter is automatically accommodated by contraction of the rubber band 20.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A device for dispensing adhesive tape from an annular roll of tape comprising: an arcuate imperforate base portion adapted to lie on the arcuate outer periphery of said roll; an inclined thumb plate formed on and extending upwardly and forwardly from the rear edge of said base portion and over the latter to receive the thumb of the user; a serrated, transversely positioned cutting edge extending upwardly from the upper forward edge of said thumb plate; a tab extending downwardly from each side of said thumb plate to a position below and at each side of said base portion for engaging the sides of the roll of tape for preventing lateral movement of said base portion thereon; an inclined bending flange joining the forward edge of said base portion and extending rearwardly over the latter toward said cutting edge so that when said tape is drawn rearwardly and upwardly over said inclined bending flange toward said cutting edge, the entire tape-severing device will be drawn rearwardly against the thumb of the user positioned against said thumb plate; a transversely-extending, indented retaining groove formed in the upper extremity of said inclined bending flange; and a resilient tension device lying in said indented groove and extending through the open roll of tape for resiliently holding said base portion against said roll.

2. A device for dispensing adhesive tape from an annular roll of tape as described in claim 8 in which the resilient tension device comprises: a U-shaped holding wire passing through the open roll of tape; an upturned extremity on each end of said wire, said extremities lying against the sides of said roll and acting to prevent lateral displacement of said wire on said roll; a tying loop formed on each upturned extremity; and an endless rubber band lying in said indented groove with its looped extremities extending beyond the sides of said base member, the looped extremities of said band being hooked into the tying loops formed on the upturned extremities of said holding wire so that the inherent elasticity of said band will serve to retain said base portion resiliently against said roll of tape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 253,278 Golf Feb. 7, 1882 353,627 Devore Nov. 30, 1886 381,198 Wright Apr. 17, 1888 697,773 Altermatt et al. Apr. 15, 1902 1,837,180 Bennett et al. Dec. 15, 1931 2,124,063 Harris July 19, 1938 2,401,286 Wright May 28, 1946 2,572,245 Coldiron Oct. 23, 1951 

